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C. A. BUBB .FLUSH VALVE. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.1'4.1919.

Patented June24, 1919.

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CLARENCE A. BUBB, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE KORKET COMPANY, 013

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FLUSH-VALVE;

Application filed January 14, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE A. BUBB, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Flush-Valve, of which the following is a specification.

As is a matter of common knowledge, the ordinary hollow rubber outlet valves used in closet flush tanks are short lived, it often being necessary to replace them at intervals of a few months, particularly in the warmer climates or when used with alkaline waters; and neither metal valves or solid rubber valves are suitable for this purpose for obvious reasons. I have discovered that a very desirable valve for this class of service may be produced from cork or artificial cork, especially natural cork ground, compressed and united with some suitable binding agent and impregnated with a water proofing material such as hot paraflin.

One of the incidents to the service is that the valve must fall loosely to its seat; in other words, it may not successively strike the seat in exactly the same way. Again, the shape of the valve seats vary slightly in the difierent makes of tanks, and i any particular seat may become sprung in use. According to the present invention, these conditions are met by hollowing out the cork valve on its lower side, thereby providing a zone of relative flexibility and permitting a ready adaptation of the cork to the seat in such manner as to form a tight seal. This construction also not only results in a considerable saving in material, but has the added advantage of allowing the suction to act more effectively on the valve, thus pulling or snapping it to the seat more firmly and quicker than would be the case were the opening omitted.

These valves, while intended particularly for use in closet tanks, may be applied quite generally in the handling of liquids.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through an ordinary closet tank equipped with a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the construction of the valve and its relation to the stem. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view corresponding to Fig. 2.

1 indicates any usual form of flush tank, 2, the inlet or pressure pipe and 3, the outlet, the latter being provided with the substan- Specification of Letterslatent.

-the water when Patented June 24, 1919.

Serial N 0. 271,025.

tially spherical seat 4 and the vent pipe 5 which leads upwardly beyond the level of the tank is full. The water is discharged into the tank through the pipe 6 and the supply is cut ofl by a suitable valve actuated by the lever 7 and float 8. As is common in such constructions, the vent pipe 5 carries a suitable guide 10 that may be secured in adjusted position by a set screw 11 and the outer end of which is positioned substantially in line with the axis of the valve seat 4;. The upper end of the valve rod 12 is slidable vertically through said guide and may be actuated to lift the valve by any suitable means, say 14 the outer arm of which is positioned externally of the tank.

The novel valve 15 which constitutes the gist of the invention is preferably of a somewhat hemispherical shape, the curvature of its outer lower surface 16 corresponding approximately to that of the seat 4. As stated heretofore, it is preferably formed by molding, compressing and cementing ground cork into the proper shape, and, either in the molding operation or later, forming in the'bottom surface thereof the substantially cylindrical cavity 18. The size of the cavity may vary considerably, but I have found it satisfactory to make its diameter and depth approximately equal, respectively, to onehalf the corresponding dimensions of the valve. The valve thus formed is impregnated with a water proofing substance, preferably by boiling or immersing in hot paraflin, which prevents it from becoming water-logged, or being disintegrated through action of the water.

' One effect of the formation of the cavity is to render, the surrounding portion appreciably flexible thereby enabling it to more readily accommodate itself to the variations in the valve seats. Again, it appears to result in a more efficient application of the suction in. the re-seating of the valve since the action obtained is more rapid and positive than with a valve having a full spherical lower surface; it also results in a more rapid rising action once the valve is lifted from the seat by the tripping mechanism.

The valve may obviously be attached to the stem in different ways, however, it is desirable to provide for adjustment within the limits of the usual variations in distance the link 13 and the lever from the seat to the lower end of the link 13, or it equivalent. This is accomplished desirably by providing a long thread 19 on the stem and by passing said stem centrally through the cork upon which it may beheld in proper adjustment by the nuts 2021. If desired, the perforation in the cork may be of less diameter than the stem, so that the threads take hold of the cork itself, and suitable bushings 22-28, inset into the cork and threaded, if desired, may also be provided. The lower end of the stem may thus project into the seat fitting-an action which is not permitted in the hollow rubber type of valve and which leads in practice to the objectionable step of bending over the upper end of the stem in installing the tank.

It will be observed-that the valve includes an upper relatively stiff zone, that gives strength to the valve and resists collapsing, and a lower relatively flexible zone which more easily adapts itself to the seat. By forming it as a half-sphere it is quicker submerged and held to the seat by water pressure. However, the actual shape of of the valve may be otherwise.

Various other changes may also be made without departing from the spirit of the in vention, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. An outlet valve for tanks or the like formed of a relatively stiff body .of cork extending across the valve from side to side to form a closed upperwall and having its lower surface adapted to conform to an an-- nular valve seat, there being acavity of con- Gopies of this patent may be obtained.

. siderable size formed in said lower surface within the limits of the opening in said seat.

2. An outlet valve formed of cork and having its lower outer surface for the most part approximately spherical, said valve including a relatively stiff upper zone or body portion terminating in an annular downwardly extending relatively flexible zone adapted to co-act with a valve seat to form a seal therewith.

3. A valve formed of compressed ground cork-like material the particles of which are cemented together under pressure andwaterproofed, said valve including as an integral part thereof an annular downwardly extending lip the outer surface of which is shaped'to substantially conform to a, valve seat.

4:. "A valve formed of cork-like material impregnated. with paratfinor the like, said valve having. as an integral part thereof an annular downwardly extending lip the outer surface of which is shaped to substantially conform to a valve seat. I

5. .Aiflush tank valve formed of cork and having. a closed cavity of eonsiderable size in its lower surface.

6. In combination, an outlet valve: for tanksrfor-med of cork or cork-like material andhaving a lower surface adapted to conform to a spherical valve seat, a threaded stem passing centrally through the valve and havingits lower ,end threaded fora length considerably greater than the depth of the valve, and threaded means for securing the valve on the stem at any desiredposition of adjustment along said thread.

CLARENCE A. .BUBB.

Washington, D. O. 

